Strengths: I have the RM 18's these are built to last. This rim is awsome. I am new to MTB (18 mo's) but was heavily in to BMX back in the day and no quaility. I am about 200 lbs and have taken 4 ft. drop off on to pavement. The wheel is still true. I was considering buying some Mav's for my bike because of the awsome looks and rep but can not justify the purchase as the Alex rims have impressed me that much.

Weaknesses: Some what heavy as comapares to others but the added benefit of not bending under extreme pressure.

Bottom Line:

I have not really tried any other quality rim but from what I have put this rim through I am not sure if a more expensive rim is worth the money or could take the abuse frankly. Truth be told, I was hoping this rim would suck and could justify an upgrade but really can find no fault. Bike snob's will probably frown on this wheel as it is not that expensive and not the most recognized bet this is a worker wheel and a true value. As I look to the future I see Alex Rim's becoming a price point leader in the market of rims.

Bike Setup: Haro v3 upgraded. The only original part on the bike is the rims.

Overall Rating:

Value Rating:

Submitted by
christian
a Weekend Warrior
from england

Date Reviewed: January 2, 2007

Strengths: am reviewing alex rm18 wheelset came on scott yz2.must admit am usually lazy at doing this sort of selfless activity but am so impressed with my wheels that i must tell the world.i've done many flat landed jumps(5foot) with these,with 180 degree aerial turns,so getting sideways twist combined with bottoming out forks and they are bomb proof!! i don't know if they are heavy or not but i think they are great.i would buy them for any use.

Strengths: Actually im reviewing the alex DM-18...this thing is the bomb!!! ive only had them for like 2 mos but my friend used them for a yr or two...hes a major downhiller and when i received the wheels they were in perfect true...(he swears he never trued them and I believe him cus when something of his is out of true...that means he broke it...)

The best rim ive used so far...although ive heard that ringle UFO's can match in strength(although they are way lighter than the alex)I guess all i can say is if u find a An ALEX DM-18 wheelset for 120$ or under...BUY IT!!!!!!!!!

I have the DX32 rims and they are by far the heaviest, sturdiest, and strongest rims I have on any of my bikes. They are wider than my other rims by what looks like 2x and allow the tire to open up a bit wider. 2.3 and 2.35 tires look like 2.4 tires on my other bikes. The footing is solid and stable, and worrying about folding the rims is nonexistent. I had been using these rims with Kenda DH tires up until recently, and nailing square edge concrete ledges and stairs had no effect on the rim. In fact, despite doing that several times, I was still running the original tires and tubes. The combination of these rims, DH tires, and DH tubes makes for a practically invincible setup.

But... it's heavy as sand. I hopped on a friend's bike with Rhyno Lites and liter tires and was amazed at the responsiveness. So I swapped to lighter tires and tubes. Now I have a combination of fast tires, and strong wheels. The stability is there, the stiffness is there, and with the tires pumped up, I shouldn't have to worry about flats.

I'd still like a lighter wheel, but shaving weight comes at the cost of sacrificing strength and for what I ride, I think these rims are fine.

i was all drunk one night and I decided to ride up a flight of step at full pace and pinch flatted my front and rear tires... well, first off thornproof tubes and something bigger than a 1.95 would have help.... but anyways.... I made a bit of a flat spot that night, and it was a tad untrue, but it wasn't the rim itself that was flatened, I just bent the side walls, but with a little vice grip action (I know I know, that's bad) and a visit to the trueing stand, they're as good as new, I've taken plenty of drops on them and they have held up perfectly, I'd consider using them on another bike.